The ramblings of a Creative Crone! I consider myself to be the Grandma Moses of the Fiber Arts World as I came to the art late in life. My blog will consist of my art; art of others; an occasional book review because when not creating, I am reading; perhaps an enlightening discussion on a favorite quote...and positive discussions of politics/world affairs only!

About Me

Monday, March 21, 2016

Memory Monday

As I said last week, I am back at Mizzou. I have morning classes..a couple education classes (very forgettable) and a couple of memorable art classes! To reiterate, having never had art before, I took the first level of everything! Now I am taking Weaving I which I am loving! My big sister Judy, is expecting her first baby so I am weaving her a baby blanket..

Weaving is so relaxing! Getting it set up is the most difficult part, but once that is done, the rest is just repetitive action. The building where the class is held is open all hours, so I could go in any time when no one else was there and really let my mind wander while weaving! Almost a form of mediation!

So I'm thinking, maybe I could be a weaver! This was in 1961... The true hippy era had just barely gotten started. In fact the term "hippy" wasn't even being used much. The "Beatnik" period was probably better known then. I found this explanation of the difference between the two.

"The major difference between the hippies and the beatniks is that the hippies were more aggressively political and public than the beatniks were.

The beatniks were a smaller group that was centered around art and artists. They were typified by poets such as Jack Kerouac and Allen Ginsberg. They did reject the values of contemporary society, but they did so mainly in a sober, quiet way. They did things like wearing black clothes and withdrawing from society in a relatively individual and solitary way.

By contrast, the hippies were "in your face." They wore bright clothes and had a very clear public presence. When they withdrew from society, they did it in communes and groups. Unlike the beats, they were very explicitly political. They felt that they could change the world through their actions in a way that the beats did not."

Having just missed the years of sex and drugs and rock n roll, the protest years, I have often wondered if I would have gotten swept away with it all. I certainly liked to party and I loved the art scene! But then, I was brought up by a couple of pretty remarkable fun-loving parents who instilled in us early on a sense of responsibility and caring, so chances are I would not have run away to a commune or any thing too radical!!!